Momma

It´s like the county fair...but with churros!

In Limache there´s a huuuuuge catholic church, se llama "40 horas", and it turns out that this week is the celebration of "the virgin of 40 horas"...it´s like the saint/virgen specifically for this church. So this week there going to be parties and mass and (most important) una FERIA!!! Whoooohoooo! And even better...it was today (on monday too)! Double whooohoooowowoooopp! To explain my excited hollars...the feria es like a fair....uhh or a market or something like that. It´s a maze of tents set up and people sell whatever thing you can think of inside...for example, authentic chilean ponchos and hats and pants and trinkets, kitchen ware, indian clothes, donkeys, soccer jerseys, wind chimes, turtles and hamsters, CHURROS. Everything. It´s like a ghetto form of disney world, cause it´s a place where dreams come true. And usually the ferias are only on Sundays..or something random like Thursday..so we can never go :( BUT! this feria is for the whooole week! So we went today and I went a like loco and bought lots of stuff for you guys! Whoowooop for presents! But I didn´t have enough money to buy everyone stuff, so I think I´ll send this stuff home in the next few weeks and then continue my search for everyone over the course of my mission until everyone has atleast something chilean :)
Ps. I had my first churro at the feria today...CHECK off the bucketlist.
This week has been one of the most successful weeks of my mission! I really feel like we worked really good and hard, and our numbers showed it for once so our district and zone leaders were happy haha.
One miracle from this week, there is a little old grandpa in our ward that has been going to church for the past 30-somethin years. This whole time, I thought he was a member cause he´s always at church and all of his family are members...but it turns out he isn´t a member. But how I found that is is that on Thursday night, he ran into us at church and said, "Yo quiero ser bautizado." And there aren´t sweet words in the world to a missionary, so naturally we put a cita for the next day (friday). In Friday we were teaching him and we invited him to be baptized on the 8th..in 2 weeks. And you know what? He said no. He said "NO, No no no. I wanna be baptized. And I don´t wanna wait. This Saturday. The 1st. I wanna be baptized in el 1 de Marzo." After going in and out of shock, we assured him that that was completely fine and so that´s his fecha! So in 5 days we are teaching him all the lessons, setting his interview, and planning his bautismo! Talk about miracle, no?! And he is such a cool grandpa...his name is Rosendo and he likes to do magic tricks and arm wrestle. And let me tell ya, he´s a strong little fellow! I mean he is 85 and he is doing the clapping pushups for fun!
But yep, so we are busy with him this week. But the Lord always provides when we try our best and are obedient.
But that´s all the time I´ve got. I hope you all are seeing the miracles that the Lord is giving y´all cada día. He wants to bless us... so earn his blessings!
I love you all so much :) Make good decisions. AND DO YOUR HOME/VISITING TEACHING. Please. That is the missionary work without the nametag.
Thank you for your prayers and everything always. Y´all are in my prayers everyday.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

A sick week with Tory...

Tory has been sick most of this week...ugh runny nose, cough, stuffy head and a bit of a sore throat. I have forced him to spend most of his time home in bed so that he can get well, sleep seems to be the best healer. Hopefully he will continue to get totally well over the weekend. In the mean time Daisy, his side kick sticks by his side to make sure he is taking it easy, because if there is anyone in this house who knows how to relax, it is Daisy!

Home, home on the range...

Thank you all for your counsel and prayers and thoughts and everything.
So NOW in Limache there is just me and Hermana Beu (una otra gringa) for aaallllllllllllllllll of Limache. So we are busy busy busy! Walking and teaching and putting fechas and walking and finding and doin all the jazz. But even though we are so busy now, I like always having something to do. A full agenda makes one haaappy misionera! We have a lot of people that are really progressing and who want to hear and learn more. I love the work here :) Also, Hermana Beu is getting close to the end of her mission, so she really knows how to get the work done, so I am learning lots from her.

Funny story of the week:
-We were walking to a cita across town and it was really windy this day, so I had been keeping an eye in my skirt to make sure I wouldn´t pull a Marylin Monroe or something. So we were walking and walking, and then suddenly I thought to myself..."why can I feel a breeze when there isn´t a breeze? Uhhhhhaahh pucha." I felt around and then suddenly realized that my backpack had eaten my skirt and I was flashin the dark side of the moon. Bahahaha, ohhh que fomé la vida. But luckly there weren´t many witnesses...or so I hope not.


I know that life is hard. I know that there are moments when we feel like we are past the point of return and there´s nothing we can do to change things. I know there are days when we can´t see la luz. But I also know that we are never alone. Never ever. And I know that God hears AND answers our prayers. I know that faith isn´t always to walk in the darkness while seeing a bright light on the other side....nope aveces faith is walking in the darkness trusting that there´s a light. I know that Christ is that light. I know that there is light and a reason to smile in every single day. I know people can change. I know that hope is never lost. Just keep trusting, just keep walking, and just keep swimming, and I know that everything will be worth it.

I love you all. More than I can accurately say en spanish or en english...especially when I´m in this awkward limbo of not knowing how to talk in either right now.
Keep on keeping on. And don´t forget to smile at strangers.

Love always and always,
Su hermanita preferida,
Hermana Abigail Page

#50 for Steve

Well Steve finally caught up with me, he turned 50! He was out of town on his birthday but when he got home, we had a little party for him with some of his dearest friends. The food was delicious, and the company was fabulous with those two combinations you can not go wrong. Happy Birthday to the man I love and think the world of.

Where discussions can take place...

The snow storm of the century, at least it has been for us here in Concord NC. It was a sight to behold, beautiful white everywhere, s far as the eye could see. It is always nice to be "stranded" at home. That is what happens in NC when we get snow. Life stops and we are forced to slow down and see all of the sights around us, especially our families. We are "forced" to hang out together where discussion could take place, and smiles are shared. No school and at the most working from home...at least he is still in our presence. Where some people can not stand the thought of snow and life stopping and don't mention having to stay in the house for any length of time. Well these little blessings are what I look forward to most in the winter. I did miss the presence of my other children coming in and out of the house, wanting hot chocolate (even though most of them don't even drink it) its what you are suppose to ask for to warm up. Staying out for hours, not realizing that their fingers and toes have about frozen off of their bodies. I do miss the night time sledding with everyone, and watching Abigail build a snowman, because she was always the only one who would take the time to build one. Playing games and watching Disney movies that they have seen a dozen times each. This winter storm we made some new memories with Tory. Being the only one left at home has been a journey for him. I think he looks at it as extra time with mom & dad that no one else got. We just look at it as a blessing. I love doing photo shots with him, and he lets me :) We had a great time enjoying the snow and all the luster that came with it. I guess I can look forward to new experiences like the ones we have had with our children again when grand children come along, or maybe when all the kids are back home for a visit. Till then I will recall fun memories of being "stranded" with the people I love most in this world...family.

Goats have creepy pupils...

I have edited Abigail's letter this week because of personal information that concerns others. She is doing well, just remember her and her companion in the coming days ahead, they need strength that comes from prayer and our savior. Trials come to every missionary in different forms, but the Lord puts us in situations where we are able to bless others, which in return helps us to grow and be blessed as well. Thank you for all of the many prayers that are sent on her behalf, they are being felt.
No on to the rest of her email.

The other day in a leadership training meeting, Presidente told the leaders that he knows that in the past couple of months, he can see that Satan has been walking in the mission. WOOOOAH. Que loco, cierto? But it´s true. Satan is trying so hard to sack all the good, and knock down all the people that are going to do good the the mission. Hermana is one of this people I think. He´s got a pretty firm grip on her right now, and we are trying to help her hold on to the little seeds of faith that she still has.
Stinkin Satan.
This whole thing is effecting me in many ways as well. I´m a lot more tired always haha. But more than that, I really can feel the presence of God helping and guiding and teaching us. I know He never leaves us hopeless, he never leaves us alone, and He never leaves us without a path to follow. He is always here, waiting patiently for us to follow faithfully, ready to lift us and take us by the hand.

But that´s all the time I´ve got.
Beware of Satan, He exists, and he´s a sneaky fellow. Fill your cracks and trust in God, and I KNOW that everything is possible. Just keep an eternal perspective.
Talk to you all sooner than soon.
Take the advice of Mufasa: Reeeemeeemmmmber whooo yooou arreee.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Happy 50th Steve...

Happy Birthday Steve! What a gift you have been to me! May you have 50 healthy, happy more years to come! I love you!

Happy Birthday Dallin

Look at you smart boy, you are all grown up and reading as much as you did back then :) Love you so very much, Have a wonderful Birthday!

First Picture of our First Grand child=happy Grandma!